Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos in Bellevue, Washington, in 1994 before becoming one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Bezos initially incorporated the business as Cadabra, Inc., then changed the name to Amazon. The company began as an online bookstore because books offered a huge selection that a physical shop could not easily stock. Amazon opened its website to customers in July 1995.
Its expansion into general merchandise, logistics, cloud computing, digital advertising, streaming, and devices transformed it from a retailer into a diversified technology company. Amazon Web Services became especially important because it supplies computing infrastructure to businesses and governments worldwide.
Amazon’s market capitalization reflects investor expectations about future earnings and growth, not simply the value of goods in its warehouses. Another frequent mix-up is the founding location: Bezos started Amazon in the Seattle area, but the company’s earliest office was in Bellevue.